Laser position finding device used for control and diagnostics of a rod pumped well

Abstract

A system for determining rod position in a rod pumped well is described that includes a laser unit mounted on an underside of the walking beam and a reflector plate mounted on the sampson post of the rod pumped well in a position near the laser unit. The laser transmits a beam onto the reflector plate allowing the laser unit to determine the distance between the laser and the reflector plate. The distance between the laser and reflector plate as determined by the laser is transmitted to a controller which calculates the position of the rod in the rod pumped well based on the distance determined by the laser.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for determining rod position in a rod pumped well comprising:
 a laser unit mounted on an underside of a walking beam of the well, wherein the laser unit transmits a laser beam in an arcuate path as the laser unit pivots up and down with the walking beam; and 
 an elongated reflector plate mounted on a sampson post pivotally supporting the walking beam, wherein the laser beam transmitted onto the elongated reflector plate and moves back and forth along a length of the elongated reflector plate as the laser unit pivots up and down with the walking beam; and 
 wherein the laser unit detects reflections of the laser beam from the elongated reflector plate, to determine distances between the laser unit and the elongated reflector plate while the laser unit pivots up and down with the walking beam, wherein the distances between the laser unit and reflector plate are output for use in determining a position of a rod in the rod pumped well. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the elongated reflector plate is mounted on the sampson post of the rod pumped well under the walking beam. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein the laser unit is mounted between one and two feet from the elongated reflector plate. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein the laser unit calculates the distance between the laser unit and the elongated reflector plate. 
     
     
       5. A method for determining rod position in a rod pumped well comprising:
 mounting a laser unit on the well such that the laser unit pivots up and down with a walking beam, wherein the laser unit is configured to transmit a laser beam along an arcuate path as the laser unit pivots with the walking beam; 
 mounting an elongated reflector plate to a sampson post pivotally supporting the walking beam in a position near the laser unit, wherein the elongated reflector plate reflects the laser beam as the laser beam moves back and forth along a length of the elongated reflector plate as the laser unit pivots with the walking beam; and 
 determining distances between the laser unit and the elongated reflector plate as the laser unit pivots with the walking beam, wherein the distances between the laser unit and elongated reflector plate as determined by the laser unit are output for use in determining a position of a rod in the rod pumped well. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the elongated reflector plate is mounted on a sampson post of the rod pumped well under the walking beam. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5  wherein the laser unit is mounted between one and two feet from the elongated reflector plate. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5  wherein the laser unit calculates the distances between the laser unit and the reflector plate.